


The ashes of a broken promise

by DarkMoon9058



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Sleepy bois - Fandom, mcyt
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Explosions, F/M, Fun, Fundy is manipulated, Implied Wilbur/Niki, Insanity, M/M, Niki is also treated badly, Past Schlattbur, Punz Quackity Dream Sapnap and George are barely mentioned, Schlatts a bit of an asshole but at least he knows it in the end, Technoblade is a bit overprotective, Tommy and Wilbur are close, Tubbo Eret and Niki are siblings, Tubbo is treated badly, Tubbo knows whats best for everyone, Villain Wilbur, You might cry, angel Phil, good luck, how to tag?, tommy wilbur and techno are brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMoon9058/pseuds/DarkMoon9058
Summary: I heard there was a secret placeWhere men could go and retaliateThe brutality and the tyranny of its rulerWell this place is true, you need to fretWith Wilbur, Tommy, fuck the restIt's cold and it's broken, not L'ManbergOrI'm procrastinating on my homework and this is the result.Second work on AO3, please be nice :D
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Floris | Fundy & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt/Wilbur Soot, Niki | Nihachu/Wilbur Soot, Schlatt & Fundy, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 17
Kudos: 151





	The ashes of a broken promise

**Author's Note:**

> I still have no clue what I'm doing, but here, have an angsty one-shot story thing -\\(0-0)/-

Wilbur was alone. He had joined this SMP with his brother, someone he swore to protect with his life. And from there he grew. He let a bee pollinate his gardens, he let a foxtrot in his forests and he let a king retire his rule. A butterfly who fluttered by his window and landed in his hair. His brother was that of a cat, battering the bee, tackling with the fox, curling up to the king, chasing the butterfly. And Wilbur? He stood by and smiled at his friends, his family.

The bee became his brother. It was a happy, cheery bee filled to the brim with kindness and generosity. He offered so many different supplies and items, he offered his friendship, and he never complained. Forced into submission.

The fox was a free spirit, frolicking in the gardens. He always liked to rebel a bit, and often acted like a son Wilbur never had. He was fierce, a formidable fighter with a soft side he shared only with his ‘father’. He was happy to spend time with his friends and he never ever talked back. He was bound to Wilbur with a father-son bond. Traitorous.

A king who gave up his rule and gladly fell under Wilbur’s leadership, calming him down when the stress got to his head and making sure every member of his family was well rested and fed. He tended to the farms and defended his friends with a fierce blade and charming talk. In the shadows.

A butterfly Wilbur called his own. She would spend time with him and tug at his heartstrings. She was his Juliet, someone he cared for beyond a family bond. She was kind, generous, and got along with the bee. Forced against him.

The cat, Wilbur’s brother, his family by blood, someone who always stuck by his side no matter the decision. He was the only one Wilbur could fall back on when everyone else would leave his side. Wilbur knew the day was coming, but he only wished he prepared himself more.

Tubbo, someone Wilbur considered a brother was taken from him. He watches from atop a hill as the President yells at the boy and rage fills his system as he sees him being hit. He stood up, sword in hand when he was restrained by his own common sense, instead of watching as Tubbo curled in on himself as soon as the President left, sobs wracking his body. Wilbur knew Tubbo would’ve chosen Wilbur’s side if he could. But the President is ruthless and Wilbur knows he won’t let Tubbo leave. 

Fundy was Wilbur’s son, someone he thought he could trust, someone he opened up to. Fundy took his heart and raked his fox-like claws down the length, and left. Wilbur felt the wound begin to bleed as he heard Fundy deny being his son. He didn’t understand. The father-son bond he thought he had developed was fake, something Fundy played with for a while before getting bored and dropping it the second something shiny and new appeared. Wilbur felt as if a part of him was gone.

Eret was a brief case of family. Though Wilbur didn’t show it, Eret’s betrayal cracked him more than he wanted the others to know. Eret was the glue of the group. Not everyone had time to take care of themselves, and Eret was the person who sat down and forced one to eat. No one else could comfort a crying Tubbo. No one else could soothe the worrying mind of Fundy. No one else could single-handedly fix the broken pieces of Wilbur’s heart. But he was gone. And Wilbur wasn’t about to let him back in. 

Niki, Wilbur’s rose, someone he loved. He knew that Niki’s situation was similar to that of Tubbo’s. Except while the President forced Tubbo to act a certain way, he could care less about how Niki was treated. She openly protested every action the President took, and every single time she was punished. But she never gave up. She refused to take down the walls, refused to invade land, refused to search for Wilbur in the forest. And eventually, the President had enough. He took Wilbur’s butterfly and locked her in an obsidian cell, treating her horribly and taking away her L’Manbergian clothing to be replaced with a loose suit. Wilbur wanted to save Niki, to let her know he was coming, to send a sign, but he couldn’t. And it broke him to know that he couldn’t help her. 

Tommy stuck by his side through everything Wilbur brought him through. He was always willing to help with a passionate smile and a determined grin. Wilbur felt himself smile whenever his younger brother was in the room, instantly lighting up the room with his loud laughter and his smiling nature. Even when his spirits seemed dampened, he was able to cheer Wilbur up. Sometimes Wilbur found him a little overbearing, but Wilbur tried hard not to snap at him.

Finally, Schlatt. Schlatt was never part of his small L’Manbergian family, but a distant childhood friend, someone Wilbur remembered from a past experience. He knew Schlatt’s every action and the reasoning behind every expression. He remembered his laugh, the way he head-butted the people he teased, the way his humour was, the way he flirted, the way he once made Wilbur’s heart skyrocket through simple words. But the Schlatt who took over his country? Wilbur didn’t know who the fuck that was. Every fond memory he had with his ex-best friend shattered. He told himself, the memories mean nothing, they’re just past experiences. But deep down Wilbur knew that every single action against him broke him more than losing his family did. He told himself he hated the President every time he heard Tubbo weep. He told himself he hated the President every time he called Fundy his son. He told himself he hated the President every time he saw the way Niki was treated. He told himself he hated the President every time he hurt Tommy. That’s what he told himself. But he knew he didn’t hate the President. Because underneath the President was Schlatt. His Schlatt. The goofy best friend Wilbur missed, the one he used to laugh with. And though Wilbur knew his Schlatt was never coming back, he couldn’t bring himself to hate him. And that’s what would drive him over the edge. 

He knew he was losing his mind the moment he snapped at Tommy. He saw Tommy cower from him for the very first time and he instantly fled the Pogtopia caves. He held his head in his hands and asked himself 'what have I done? Am I the bad guy?' Over and over and over again. He told himself that he couldn’t be the bad guy, he was on the right side of history. But then he remembered Tommy’s frightened eyes and he realized how alone he was. He’s lost himself and he knew, he just couldn’t bring himself to care. 'L’Manberg...L’Manberg...L’Manberg...L’Manberg...Manberg...Manberg...My L’Manberg...His Manberg...No one’s berg.'

Tommy rubbed his eyes. Never before had Wilbur ever yelled at him. Wilbur had never intentionally hurt Tommy. He was almost mad at Wilbur, but he couldn’t blame his brother because he knew how much stress Wilbur was going through. He had met Schlatt in his childhood. He remembered his smile, and he remembered teasing Wilbur about dusted pink cheeks and hand-holding. He himself knew that Schlatt was out of control. He may not have known him as long as Wilbur did, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know exactly what the other was like. Tommy dipped his hand into the freezing river, finding comfort in the way the water swallowed his hand in an icy grip. He began to think back to when Wilbur and he were younger. Techno, the eldest sibling, had played with them more before he was called to Hypixel to compete in countless different tournaments. He remembered the way his father Phil taught Techno and Tommy how to fight with a sword while Wilbur played songs with Schlatt on the balcony, strumming his guitar and singing along while Schlatt stared into his chocolate eyes, sometimes ruffling his hair, and sometimes singing along. Wilbur was more of a free spirit, someone who, when asked, could fight with Tommy’s skill, but would prefer to sing songs by the sunsets. Tommy remembered glancing to Wilbur and catching the silhouettes of connected lips, a slow kiss he had just witnessed. A big smile had graced his features, and he had immediately dropped his wooden sword and ran up to the balcony as fast as his 12-year-old feet could take him, opening the doors and interrupting the sixteen-year-olds moment. Wilbur had been embarrassed, while Schlatt had just grinned evilly and pulled the taller into another kiss. This time, Tommy stuck his tongue out in disgust and told Phil to tell Wilbur to stop kissing on the balcony.  
Tommy remembered the day Wilbur and Schlatt had split up. He remembered how glum and down Wilbur was for months afterwards, and how Schlatt had kept his distance for the weeping Brit to get over himself. Tommy had comforted Wilbur those months and told himself he didn’t miss Schlatt, but he knew he did. He didn’t particularly miss Schlatt, he just missed how happy and carefree Wilbur was when Schlatt was still here. When Techno left Tommy was all Wilbur had left, especially when Phil got caught up in a war and passed away. With Techno occupied, and Wilbur and Tommy still teenagers, they all agreed on having the house sold to leave the memories old and start new. Tommy had been the one to accept the invitation to the Dream SMP, having heard all about Dream and his two best friends Sapnap and George. It was there he met his best friend Tubbo, Tubbo’s brother Eret, and Tubbo’s sister Niki. Tommy remembered asking Dream if he could invite Schlatt to the server, and being hyped when the masked man responded with the go-ahead. Though not all was sound as Schlatt immediately began pulling the most ridiculous pranks for Wilbur’s attention, a fond smile, a laugh, maybe a kiss. But Wilbur had already moved on to Niki, Tubbo’s sister and Tommy approved. Schlatt didn’t give up, but he stopped being as reckless as he was. He started talking to the server inhabitants more. Building bonds he didn’t have the right to keep. And when he started advancing and trying to manipulate Dream himself, he was quickly found out and banned from the SMP. 

The river ran faster, bringing Tommy back to the present. If he was found he would be brought back to L’Manberg for execution. He stood up, glancing around before walking back into the shadows of the forest, bringing out his communicator and messaging someone he hadn’t seen in years.  
Hey bitch, come swing by the SMP? Dream whitelisted you when the SMP first started. Plus, Wilbur is in desperate need of a friend, and I fear he’s losing his mind. -Tommy.  
Tommy only prayed for the response. 

Techno threw another Sky Wars nerd into the void and only sighed as his dragon landed beside him, shooting fireballs into the distance in his wake. He simply climbed onto the dragon and allowed it to fly him back to the lobby. Players of all different origins flocked in the room, walking up to different people to join games of Sky Wars, some of the more advanced players deciding to try their luck at Ranked while the novice players went for the quicker games, only there for a bit of fun. There he saw Simon, the Hypixel host wave to him from inside the admin only area.  
“Technoblade! Come here, you got something in the mail!” the other players in the lobby perked up at the mention of the legendary player, instantly looking to the portal to see if they could find the man. Techno sighed and un-nicked himself, his appearance shifting, his red cape appearing, his crown gleaming in the Hypixel sun. He ignored the gasps of surprise and he walked up to Simon, being one of the only players who could bypass the admin barrier.  
“Hallo,” he greeted. Simon smiled and passed him a piece of paper with creases of being folded. Techno guessed it had come out of an envelope based on the size of the paper when folded.  
“What’s this?” he asked suspiciously, glancing at the words on the top of the page.  
“Letter from the Dream SMP. I know you’ve been itching to get out of here, and I know that you’re only here so that you don’t have to go back. I think this is a bit of free space for you” Simon stated as Techno scanned the page. He felt a light smile tug at his lips as he glanced up at Simon.  
“How soon can I leave?”

Wilbur avoided Tommy. Wilbur avoided Dream. Wilbur avoided every single person on the SMP. He couldn’t trust himself, not after the times he had unintentionally snapped at Tommy. He was tied to a vine slowly lowering itself into pools of black light, pools of insanity forming in his mind. He constantly felt dirty no matter how much he tried to wash. It’s like he was being held in chains, chains that no one had the keys to. And he felt fine. And that’s what scared him. Wilbur stared down at his hands, twitching and covered in blood. And he knew that the blood wasn’t real but he didn’t care. If he couldn’t have L’Manberg then Schlatt certainly couldn’t. Plans of disaster rocked his mind. Maybe he could kill every single inhabitant in that hellhole. Maybe he could drown them all like rats. Maybe he could burn them down. Maybe he could tear them up bit by bit until they were just as broken as Wilbur was. Maybe he could watch them weep as he kills them one after another in front of each other. Maybe he could pick them off one by one. Maybe he could blow them up. Blow them up…  
Wilbur scratched at his face, white lines of agitation etching into his flesh. He felt the tears running down his cheeks, but he wasn’t aware he was crying. All the people in that wretched land had taken his trust and shattered it like glass. Every single one of them was a traitor.  
“A shame” the brunette grinned maniacally.  
“I always thought you were the most successful of the bunch” The voice was firm, parental, controlling. Wilbur growled deep in his throat like an animal run wild.  
“What are you doing here?” he growled, now daring to turn around.  
“I can’t miss my own son’s rebellion can I?” Phil’s voice still had a fatherly touch, a soft sun that made Wilbur want to melt into his arms.  
“Don’t pretend to be proud of me, I know what I am, a monster” Wilbur’s voice was eerily calm, a giant grin adorning his expression. A swift sigh.  
“I think you’re confused, Wilbur” Wilbur curled in on himself.  
“All through your exile you’ve used fear to control people. Like your brother” Wilbur knew this was true, but he denied the information.  
“What other choices do I have? Am I supposed to trust them, Phil? Trust the ones who took my feelings and smashed them into the ground? Trust the ones who tried to manipulate me? Trust is for fools, Phil” Wilbur snarled. He turned around and felt himself steady. Blonde hair, warm blue eyes, awkward fisher hat, giant angel wings. He smiled, just basking in the fatherly warmth, every single instinct telling him to throw himself right into the arms of the one he missed most. His expression hardened.  
“Fear is the only option. Even you” he turned around again. “Should fear me” his voice was dangerous and low.  
“No Wilbur. I could never ever be afraid of you. Wilbur, I love you” Phil’s voice rang in his head like a bell he couldn’t get out of his ears. Like a steady trickle of light into his pool of darkness, slowly regaining his sanity. 'Get out of my head…'  
“Wilbur, please. Come home. Leave L’Manberg behind. Talk with Techno, play with Tommy. Rescue Tubbo, take Niki with you. Retie things with your son and take Eret back. It can all be done and I believe you can do it Wilbur” 'Get out of my head...Get out of my head...Get out of my head...Out of my head...Out of my head...Leave me alone...Please...Blow them up… No...Out of my head…'  
“Wilbur, I know you feel like you’re all alone, but you’re not alone. I’m with you, I always am. Wilbur, I love you” Wilbur’s mind spun like a train going to circles.  
“Your leadership won independence for L’Manberg, remember that you’re capable of so much more than this” Wilbur laughed, deep, feeling his mind straighten out. Phil had made a mistake.  
“My leadership? Mine? If I seem to recall I stood by and watched as Tommy won us independence. I watched Phil. I didn’t do jack shit!” Wilbur’s right hand gripped the hilt of the sword at his side, so tight he thought it might break.  
“Capable of so much more? Yes, yes I am. I’m going to kill them all, Phil. And I’m going to force you to watch me from above. I want you to watch me kill your sons one by one, ending with myself. Don’t you see it, Phil? I am a monster. I am insane” Wilbur giggled. Phil took a step back before trying again.  
“Wilbur-” The brunette's head filled with sudden rage as he spun around, sword drawn, and slashed it upwards, killing Phil’s image. Tears fell from his eyes as he held his head and grinned, falling back on himself. His eyes were red from the tears and his hair was rough and dishevelled. His face, once handsome and pretty, turned rash and bloody from the nails rubbing against it.  
“He was never even here” 

Schlatt watched over his great nation. He tried to feel accomplished and confident in his decisions but every single once made him closer and closer to giving up and giving the role of President back to its rightful owner. Wilbur, the one who fought for its independence with his blood while Schlatt waited on the sidelines, not even aware of the war. His gaze drifted to the forest, catching hints of blonde hair and blue eyes. Schlatt grinned. That had to be Tommy. He stood up and walked towards the teen, trying to stay out of the blonde’s sight. Tommy was peeking behind a tree, he looked like he was waiting on something. Schaltt stood behind a bush, eyeing the ex-vice president curiously. Tommy’s blue eyes filled with relief and he started moving swiftly towards the Holy Land. Schlatt followed behind him, making sure to stay out of sight. He saw what Tommy was going for. Someone with pink hair stood on the wood planks, looking alert. He was wearing a pig mask and a red royal cape with white fur trim and a gold crown accompanied by brown combat boots, a white t-shirt, a silver chain necklace and brown pants. Schlatt’s eyes narrowed in interest.  
“Technoblade!” Tommy shouted, launching himself into the pinkettes arms. The other ruffled Tommy’s hair, a fond smile playing at his mouth.  
“Tommy” he greeted. His voice was surprisingly monotone, generally deep. Schlatt’s head tilted with interest.  
“So, is there a particular reason you called me here?”  
“That’s the thing Techno. See, we’re in the middle of a war and all of our men are on the enemy side consensual or not. So it’s literally just Wil and I against everyone else. Dream and Sapnap are neutral but George is on the other side” Techno nodded along.  
“Who are we stabbing?” he asked. Tommy shifted his weight.  
“That’s the thing. It’s Schlatt. You remember Wilbur’s goofy boyfriend? The one who always made him laugh and they’d chase each other around the house? That Schlatt” the ram hybrid sensed a change in Technoblade’s attitude.  
“You want me to stab Schlatt?” Schlatt’s heart sank. While he was dating Wilbur, he actually got along well with Wilbur’s older brother.  
“Yes. That’s not the only reason I called you here. Wilbur, he’s losing his mind. Do you remember the promises we gave each other?” Techno nodded.  
“He yelled at me Techno. And then he teared up and ran out of Pogtopia. I haven’t seen him since Techno, that was last week. He’s missing! He didn’t take his guitar with him, he didn’t take food with him, he didn’t take his sword. Techno I need you to help me find him. And...I think he’s losing his sanity. These past few weeks I’ve noticed his quieter, more short-tempered, and he often held his head in his hands and just smiled. Techno he is not okay” Tommy rambled.  
“Then what are we waiting for? Lead me to where you last saw him” Tommy gave a nod and grabbed his brother’s arm, dragging him down the wooden path at a quick pace. Schlatt couldn’t believe his ears. And he thought he was the crazy one. But the more he thought about it the more it made sense. I came in here and took his nation away from him. I exiled him. I forced Tubbo to stay with me, I locked up his girlfriend, I took his son, I forced Eret not to interfere. Of course he’s losing his mind, everything he worked towards I took. Schlatt felt even worse as he came to a conclusion. 'And he thinks it's all his fault because he doesn’t believe I would do this to him...it’s all my fault.' Schlatt tore his way back to Manberg. He wanted to give the nation back to Wilbur. He had to. His goat-like aspects made him run faster as he approached Fundy.  
“Fundy! Call a presidential speech. I want every single member of Manberg including Niki there. It’s important, get it done for tomorrow afternoon” he ordered. The fox nodded and turned around, his tail swaying in the breeze. Schlatt’s hands shook as he fought back tears. How could he do this to someone he still loved?

Tommy brushed a tear from his cheek. As exciting as seeing Techno again was, he was still worried for Wilbur. His older brother was nowhere to be found in the forest, not in the fields, not in the buildings. He saw Techno’s ear twitch once, then again. Knowing that Techno was sensitive to sound he turned to his brother.  
“What do you hear?” he whispered, not wanting to disturb. Techno growled.  
“Presidential speech. Should we go check it out to see if they have Wilbur?” he asked. Tommy nodded and the two began making their way towards the noise. The edge of the first was on a sort of cliff, allowing them to hide in plain sight as long as no one was looking. He saw Schlatt on the stage. His spirits lifted when he spotted Niki out of the obsidian prison and they lifted again when he spotted Tubbo, who was finally out of the suit and looking healthier than when Tommy last saw him. Tommy and Techno leaned in as Schlatt began to speak.  
“So, through this past year we’ve managed to build Manberg from the ground into the great nation it is! We profited from fear and manipulation to tear down the walls of L’Manberg and rename it to Manberg” Tommy began going down the hill. “It was last month I realized that I shouldn’t be hitting my Secretary of State. Last week I realized I shouldn’t have a suit dress code. And it was yesterday I realized I shouldn’t keep Niki locked up” He was so close yet so far from the presidential stand. “It was this morning I realized that I didn’t free L’Manberg when I became president. I didn’t do what was for the benefit of the people. I did what was best for me. I banished L’Manbergs founders and I tore down the history they planted. Wilbur, Tommy, if you’re listening I offer you my apology, and I hope we can learn to trust each other again as we once did” Tommy was at the base of the stairs when he saw his brother advance to the stage.  
“Trust you?” Wilbur’s voice was hoarse, his hair was tangled, his skin was bloody as if he scratched at his face, his grin was calm and chilly. His aura radiated fear.  
“Trust you?” Wilbur repeated, his voice gaining fury.  
“Why would I trust a man who tore my nation away from me and kicked me out of my hard work? Why would I trust a man who hit my brother’s best friend and yelled at him if he so much as looked at you wrong? Why would I trust a man who manipulated my own son into hating me? Why would I trust a man who locked away Niki just because she was fighting for her country? Why would I trust a man who took my trust and ground it into a fine powder? HOW COULD I TRUST A MAN WHO TOOK MY LOVE AND THREW IT OUT THE FUCKING WINDOW?” Schlatt had backed up into the wall as he gazed at Wilbur who was getting more furious by the minute. Tommy stood frozen, not believing this was his brother.  
“How could I trust Tubbo when he tears down the walls and the history he was a part of? How can I trust Fundy when he willingly shot me in the arm with an arrow the second something new and exciting showed up for him? How can I trust Niki when she watched Fundy burn down the flag without doing anything? How can I trust Eret when he doesn’t stop Schlatt from tearing down the peace treaties? How can I trust any of you when you’ve all taken a piece of me and shattered it? How can I trust Tommy when he looks at me with fear after I yell at him for the first time? I don’t trust any of you. I don’t trust a SINGLE person in this crowd” Wilbur shouted, his voice radiating dominance. A grin on his face.  
“Which is why under every single part of this nation is a piece of TNT. Under every single one of your chairs is a piece of TNT. It’s everywhere. And I’m going to watch as you SOB and WEEP at your own deaths” Tommy found his voice again and he ran up the steps.  
“Wilbur no!” he shouted, putting himself in front of his brother.  
“You can’t blow up Manberg” he stated firmly, drawing his blade. Wilbur glanced at him, a crazy look in his eyes.  
“You know that Phil tried to stop me earlier” at the mention of his father, Tommy felt a tear roll down his cheek.  
“Do you want to know what I did to him?” Tommy didn’t comment, keeping his sword by his side. Wilbur chuckled.  
“I drew my sword and his blood spattered my blade” Wilbur brought out a remote-controlled lever.  
“If he couldn’t stop me, what makes you think you can?” Tommy cried. Tommy looked straight into Wilbur’s cold dead eyes.  
“Your promise. You promised me. ‘Tommy I promise you I’ll stay by your side through every decision you make. I promise not to harm you’” Tommy quoted. Wilbur seemed to pause.  
“That promise broke a long time ago Tommy” Tommy shivered realizing how true these words were. Wilbur grinned.  
“There is no winning this war Tommy. And when this place goes up in smoke I am going to kill you. Slowly you’re going to bleed out as I tear you limb from limb” Wilbur snarled. His thumb hovered over the detonation button.  
“‘Techno, I promise I’ll never harm Tommy. I promise when I’m mad I’ll play my guitar until I’m calm enough to talk it out” Techno’s calm voice filtered Wilbur’s outraged one. Wilbur turned his head in surprise, seeing his other brother.  
“Wilbur. I could care less if you blew this place to smithereens, but you will not touch my little brother. Not now, not ever” his voice was lower than usual and it battled with Wilbur’s dominant tone.  
“Technoblade” Wilbur grinned.  
“How nice of you to join the party” Techno put himself right in front of Tommy and directly faced Wilbur.  
“Tell me, Wilbur, when did you plan to blow up everything you cared about? When did it all go downhill? When did your mind tell you trust was for nothing more than fools? When did your mind tell you this was the only way?” Techno questioned. Wilbur remained silent. Tommy could feel the internal battle Wilbur was fighting. He was on the edge of regaining a shred of sanity. The silence in the clearing ringing out in everyone's ears.  
“I heard there was a special place” Tubbo ended the silence when he began to sing.  
“Where men could go and emancipate”  
“The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers” Niki joined in, her voice soft and quiet, getting louder and louder.  
“Well this place is true, you needn’t fret” Fundy sang, standing up and shouting.  
“With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, fuck Eret” Eret chuckled, singing in his deep voice.  
“A pretty big and not blown up L’Manberg” Techno commented. Wilbur held his head in his hands, the detonator resting against his forehead.  
“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t say a single lyric more” he threatened. Techno’s ear twitched again, and instantly he wrapped his arms around Tommy’s waist and jumped to the taller building, ignoring Tommy’s protests. Wilbur shuddered at the tune of the L’Manberg anthem, his finger pressing down onto the button.

“I heard there was a broken place” The hissing of TNT below fancy shoes filled the air.  
“Where men could go and retaliate” Tubbo screamed and turned around, booking it towards the forest in hopes of seeing Tommy again.  
“The brutality and the tyranny of its ruler” Niki grabbed Eret’s wrist and dragged him towards the ocean hoping to make it there before the explosion.  
“Well this place is true you need to fret” Fundy whirled around, looking for the closest hiding spot.  
“With Wilbur, Tommy, fuck the rest” Schlatt dashed for the white house, hoping the walls might muffle the blow.  
“It’s a very big and all blown up L’Manberg” Punz and Quackity stood frozen in shock.  
“It’s L’Manberg”  
“My L’Manberg”  
“It is Manberg”  
“His L’Manberg”  
“Well the walls were strong but they fell down” George ran for the caves, hoping the TNT wasn’t planted in Tubbo’s bunker.  
“The flag was burned and fell on the roof”  
“The ashes and the sparks in the skylight”  
“The smoke rose through the forest air” Tommy looked back on the nation, remembering when the flag was once burning.  
“The president saw his lost share”  
“Burned, bloodied and broken, not L’Manberg”  
“It is Manberg. Not his L’Manberg. It is Manberg. Schlatt’s Manberg”  
The explosions scattered the dust and uprooted the buildings, sending everything tumbling down to the ground. Everything within Manberg territory went up in flames, even the oceans weren’t safe. The only area spared was the forest, the only Manbergian survivor being Tubbo, he fled to the forests. Wilbur smiled, a crazed look in his eyes. He saw Tommy on the destroyed building beside him, tears on his face, Techno nowhere in sight. Tommy looked down on Wilbur, a hatred in his eyes.  
“What the fuck have you done?” the younger spat. Wilbur grinned.  
“Well Tommy I’ve been here before. I’ve seen the blood and I’ve fought this war” his voice was chilly, an eerie version of the cheery L’Manberg anthem.  
“I used to think it was good before I saw it” Wilbur spun around, dancing in the nation’s ashes.  
“I’ve seen the flag on the nations rise” his voice gained a sharp edge to it.  
“And war is not a victory cry! It’s-” his vocals were interrupted by Tommy’s own voice.  
“IT’S A COLD AND IT’S A BROKEN MIND, L’MANBERG!” Tommy shouted, tears staining his cheeks. Wilbur looked to Tommy. Suddenly, a shadow in the form of a devil, coils of smoke curling around Wilbur’s shoulders.  
“It is Manberg,” it whispered.  
“Blow the Manberg. Smear the ashes. Across the skies~” it’s voice was sickly sweet, and Wilbur’s smile widened at the sound. And just like that; an arrow pierced into his chest, a scream torn from a blonde’s chest, unbalanced breathing from the brunette, a wicked laugh and a dying heartbeat. A pinkette emerged from the bushes, bow in hand, staring down at Wilbur’s broken figure. 

“See you in hell” he spat, his red cape fluttering behind him. Wilbur clawed at his chest a bit, the shadow disappearing and leaving behind Wilbur. Not crazy, blow up Manberg Wilbur, just Wilbur. The same WIlbur that made the promises. With an arrow in his chest. Tears welled in Wilbur’s eyes. His gaze caught the ruined Manberg, the bodies blown to pieces on the square. And he cried, before forcing himself to his feet. He cast one long look at Tommy and Techno, before, quick as a striking viper, unsheathing his dagger and stabbing his chest, straight through the heart. Tommy screamed again and collapsed into Techno’s waiting arms, who held him from approaching Wilbur. Another gasp was heard from behind Wilbur, and Tommy looked up to see the only other person he wanted to see right now. Tubbo, emerging from the forest, unharmed in a ripped suit. The only other survivor of Manberg’s blow.  
“Wil?” he whispered, approaching the body.  
“Wilbur no! You may have blown up Manberg, but you can’t be dead. Wil no...please? Get up? For Tommy! Wil no, please” Tubbo begged at Wilbur’s body.  
“I never got to say goodbye…” Tubbo’s voice trailed off into a sob. Wilbur was always cross with Tubbo whenever he had the chance to speak to him, but Tubbo could identify the brotherly love in Wilbur’s eyes, even if no one else saw it. And when Tubbo looked at Wilbur from the crowd, he knew Wilbur wasn’t all the way gone. 'Maybe I can get back in time. Maybe I can save him. Maybe I can bring him home. I know I can. And I’m the only one.' Too late, too late, he’s gone. And everybody knew he was gone before he even pressed the button. Tubbo knew better than that. A sob tore its way from his throat as he looked up to Tommy and Techno. Techno was holding Tommy firm in his arms while Tommy sobbed, struggling to reach his brother’s body. Tubbo wiped his eyes and gently removed the arrow from Wilbur’s body, being as delicate as he possibly could, before removing the dagger. Wilbur’s face was pale, his mouth slightly open, his hair curling around his face, and a giant arrow-sized hole directly through his ribcage. His eyes were closed, and one could say he looked peaceful.  
“Let me go Techno” Tommy’s shaking voice called out. Techno held tight.  
“Let me go!”  
“LET ME GO!!” Tubbo stood up swiftly, green eyes staring directly into Techno’s ambers.  
“Let. Him. Go” his voice was low. Techno didn’t, still holding his brother tight. Tubbo knew what was best for each of them at this exact moment. Tommy needed to see Wilbur. Techno needed a break. And Tubbo needed his Tommy. And so Tubbo stung, like a bee, defending his hive, in this case, Tommy. Tommy escaped Techno’s arms and collapsed by Wilbur’s body, head on his chest, whispering words of apology and sorrow. Techno, now on the ground from the blow, stared at Tubbo in surprise, who was beside Tommy, gently massaging the blonde’s shoulder while whispering words of his own. And as the sunset on the broken nation’s fall, the three of them carried the body to the flag’s resting point. Buried below what he stood for, how fitting. They walked away from Manberg, heading to the SMP to seek aid from Dream and Sapnap.  
"Well maybe there’s hope for us  
But all I’ve ever learned from love  
Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew you  
He’s not okay, he sits here tight  
He’s not somebody who’s seen the light  
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Wilbur, Manberg  
It’s all gone now  
Blown to pieces  
No survivors  
He’s truly gone~  
Hush."


End file.
